Apparatus for manufacturing metal dust



Dec. 22, 1925- 1,566,913

. M. H. NEWELL APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING METAL DUST Filed August 29', 1916 WITNESSES IN V EN TOR.

HIS A TTORNE YS.

name Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES PA ENT ome MIN'I'ON mnnwELL, or sun rnaucrsco, canroaiua; assmuon, BY u'nsm: .a'e-

, SIGNMENTS, TO THE ALLOYS COMPANY, 01

IORATION OF CALIFORNIA. i

sax raaitcrsco, "canrroanm; a con- .APPABATUS FOR MANUFACTURING DUST. V

Application filed August 29, 1916.'- Serial No. 117,430. I

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MINTQN H. NEWELL,

' a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Manufacturing .Metal Dust, of which the following is a specification. V 1

The invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing metal dust.

An object of'the invention is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing metal dust, whereby the output ina given time may be increased and the products made of higher efficiency when used in various processes.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline in full a preferred form of the apparatus of my invention. It is-to be understood, ho.w ever, that I do not limit m self to the preferred apparatus set forth erein, as many modifications of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the succeeding claims. The use of the a paratus is particularly advantageous in t e manufacture of zinc dust and in the specification I shall describe the invention in such ,connection, but it is to be understood that it is applicable to other metals which can be vaporized by heating. v

The drawing is a vertical section somewhat diagrammatic, of the preferred form of the apparatus.

Heretofore, zinc dust has always been made by va orizing and condensing the zinc inzinc ore, ut in accordance with my process I may use zinc metal, slag, dresses, skimmings, residues or by-products of zinc metal-v lurgical process-or any suitable zinc bearing material. In carrying out my invention I place the zinc. bearing material, preferably in the metallic form and with or without a quantity of carbon or other reducing agent, in a retort 2, which is arranged in afurnace 3 so that it can be heated-to the re-' quired temperature and in the apparatus which I have constructed, I employ oil as fuel. Theneck of the retort extends through the furnace wall and makes a tight joint therewith and projects into a large neck 4 on the condensing chamber 5 and the joint between the furnace wall and the neck 4 is closed by clay seals 6. The neck 4 made large in diameter so that the vapors passing from the retort will not be directed into contact therewith, since such contact has a tendency to form metallic zinc instead of zinc dust. The chamber is prefer- I ably formed of metal and is in thermal contact with the air so that the heat therein ma be dissipated. The chamber is prefera 1y conical at its .lower end and is pro.-

vided with a gate-controlled outlet 7, for

the discharge of the dust. The chamber is provided with an aperture 8, preferably arranged on the side op osite the retort, which is covered with a ag 9 of, suitable fabric. When vapor is discharged through V the aperture, the bagbecomes distended and when the pressure 18 relieved, the bag collapses. As the process is being carried on manufactured by the use of this apparatus 1 is much more efficient as a precipitant in the cyanide process, than zinc dust made by other processes.

It is difficult to determine definitely the explanation of this fact.

I claim: l 1. In an apparatus for manufacturin metal dust, a condensing chamber provide with an aperture and means for retarding the inflow of air through said aperture, said chzilinber being otherwise substantially air tig V 2. In an apparatus for manufacturing metal dust, a condensin chamber provided with an aperture and aIJag arranged externally of the chamber and enclosing .said aperture to retard the inflow ofair through said aperture, said chamber being construct ed to substantially revent the inflow of a1r except through said aperture.

3. In an apparatus for manufacturing metal and a condensing chamber into which metal dust, an elastic condensing chamber.

the metal vapor is introduced, said chamber having a flexible portion composed of closely woven fabric.

5. An apparatus for manufacturing metal dust, comprising means for vaporizing the metal, and a condensing chamber comprising a flexibleportion composed of woven heat and a fabric portion covering said aperture to prevent the discharge of dust into the atmosphere and retard the inflow of air through the aperture.

7. An apparatus for manufacturing metal dust comprising means for vaporizing the metal, and a condensing chamber into which the vapor discharges, said chamber being provided with means remote from the vapor inlet for maintaining an equilibrium between the vapor pressure in the chamber and the atmosphere.

8. An apparatus for manufacturing metal dust comprising means for vaporizing the metal, a condensing chamber provided with an aperture, and a bag of flexible material outside the chamber enclosing such aperture.

9. An apparatus for manufacturing metal dust comprising a furnace, a metallic condensing chamber arranged adjacent said furnace, a neck'on said chamber connecting the chamber and the furnace and a retort in said furnace opening into said chamber and forming a tight joint with the wall of the furnace, said chamber being provided with an aperture at a point remote from the discharge end of the retort.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California,-

this 23rd day of August, 1916.

' MINTON H. NEWELL. 

